Folding exercising equipment

ABSTRACT

Exercising equipment of the rowing machine type having a frame, a footrest, a sliding seat, and a pivoted T handle. Work done by the user in pulling the handle backwards is dissipated by a flat strap, attached at one end to the handle and running back and forth over cylindrical guides to a spring loaded drum which maintains tension in the strap. The frame comprises front and rear portions which are connected by a hinged joint having a horizontal axis coincident with the pivot axis of the T handle. As a result, the frame is collapsible from an extended position in which the frame portions are end to end in alignment to a storage position in which they partially overlap. A hook at the top of the handle can be engaged under the front edge of the seat so as to hold the parts firmly in their folded position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to exercising equipment, and more particularly toexercising machines which allow a user to simulate the action of rowinga boat.

THE PRIOR ART

Various rowing-type exercising machines have already been proposed.However, these previously-proposed machines have suffered from variousdisadvantages. Many of the prior machines have used a handle which isnot constrained to follow any particular path, but is merely connectedto the front end of the frame of the machine by a cord or tensionspring. This means that the line of action of the force against whichthe user must work is much lower than in real rowing, so that themachine does not allow the user to simulate accurately a rowing action.Also, the fact that the handle is only loosely connected to the frame ofthe machine may make the machine somewhat inconvenient to store.

Also, the previously-proposed machines incorporate a frame which is ingeneral fairly long, and this contributes to the awkwardness of storingthe machine.

The present invention is concerned with providing a rowing-type exercisemachine which is reasonably convenient to store, and does not have aloose handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, exercising equipment comprises anelongate frame, a foot rest mounted on the frame, a seat which ismovable generally horizontally along the frame towards and away from thefoot rest, and a handle mounted on the frame and arranged to be movedalong a predetermined path by a user of the equipment, with at least acomponent of movement parallel to the direction of movement of the seat,and means arranged to oppose such movement of the handle, and the framecomprises front and rear portions which, in an operative position, liegenerally in alignment and end to end, and, in a storage position, liewith their lengths at least approximately parallel, and at leastpartially overlapping.

The invention makes it possible to reduce the overall size of theexercising equipment for storage purposes.

Preferably, the two portions of the frame are interconnected by a hingejoint, so that the frame can be moved from its operative position to itsstorage position by a folding movement.

The means opposing movement of the handle is conveniently mountedentirely on the front portion of the frame, on which portion the footrest is also mounted, while the rear portion of the frame provides atrack for the movement of the seat.

The predetermined path along which the handle moves preferably lies wellabove the level of the seat, at least along part of the length of thispath, in order that the exercise provided by the machine is a fairlyclose simulation of a rowing action. For example, the handle maycomprise a bar which is pivoted at its lower end to the frame of theequipment, about a horizontal axis, and carrying a hand-grip at or nearits upper end. Conveniently the pivot axis of the handle may coincidewith the axis of the hinge joint connecting the two portions of theframe.

It may be possible so to arrange the lines of action of the variousforces acting on the two portions of the frame that there is no tendencyfor relative movements to occur when the exercising equipment is in use.However, the preferred embodiment includes means arranged to preventsuch relative movements of the two frame portions away from theiroperative position. It is also desirable that the frame portions of theequipment should be restrained from relative movements when in theirstorage position; in the case where the two frame portions are connectedby a hinge joint, and the handle consists of a pivoted bar, the handlebar, in the storage position, may be restrained from movement by a hookarrangement connecting it to the rear frame portion, while the movementresisting means maintains a biassing force tending to move the handlebar relative to the front frame portion, which biassing force, on theone hand, keeps the hook arrangement under load, and, on the other hand,keeps the front frame portion pressed firmly against means limitingfurther folding movement of the frame portions.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but onespecific embodiment will now be described by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an exercising machine embodying theinvention, in an operative position;

FIG. 2 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing the machine in astorage position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the machine; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sections, to an enlarged scale, taken on the linesIV--IV and V--V of FIG. 3.

The exercise machine shown in the drawings consists essentially of aframe 10, a seat 12, and a pivoted handle 14 which can be moved againsta resisting force. The frame 10 in turn consists of a rear portion 10Awhich provides a track along which the seat 12 can slide, and a forwardportion 10B which houses a mechanism providing the force resistingmovements of the handle 14. As will later be described in more detail,the two portions of the frame 10 are joined by a pivotal connection, sothat the frame 10 can be folded to reduce its overall size, for storagepurposes.

When the machine is in use, the user sits on the seat 12, with his feeton foot-rests 16 which form part of the forward portion 10B of the frame10, and grasps two hand-grips 18 which form part of the handle 14. Bystraightening his legs and bending his arms and thereby pulling thehandle 14, the user can simulate the action of rowing a boat, with eachstroke of the handle being accompanied by a movement of the seat 12along the rear portion 10A of the frame 10. After each stroke, the userreturns to his previous position; the mechanism which provides theresistance to movement of the handle 14 assists the return movement ofthe handle, while the return movement of the seat 12 is assisted by thefact that the rear portion 10A of the frame is slightly inclined, sothat the seat runs downhill during the return stroke. The constructionof the exercise machine will now be described in greater detail.

The forward portion 10B of the frame includes a generally channel-shapedpressing 20, on which are mounted the various parts of the mechanismwhich provides the resistance to movement of the handle 14; thismechanism is concealed beneath a moulded plastics cover (not shown inthe drawings). The rear portion 10A of the frame includes a pair ofoblong section steel tubes 24, between which the rear part of thepressing 20 is received. The tubes 24 are interconnected near theirfront ends by a cross shaft 22 (see FIG. 4); a reduced-diameter portion23 at each end of the shaft 22 is received in a transverse bore in therespective tube 24, and a spring clip is fitted to each end of the shaft22, to keep the tubes 24 in place against the shoulders defining theinboard limits of the reduced-diameter portions. The cross shaft 22 alsopasses through holes in the two vertical walls of the pressing 20,between the tubes 24, thereby acting as a hinge pin connecting the twoportions of the frame 10.

To lock the two portions of the frame 10 against relative movement intheir operative position, as shown in FIG. 1, a locking pin 25 isprovided, which passes through openings in the tube 24 and the verticalwalls of the pressing 20, forward of the cross shaft 22. When the frame10 is to be folded in its storage position (shown in FIG. 2), thelocking pin 25 is manually withdrawn to allow the pressing 20 to hingerelative to the tubes 24.

The front end of each of the tubes 24 is supported by a plastics foot27, secured to the underside of the tube. The rear ends of the tubes 24are supported by a support 28 which is hinged to the tubes 24 by a crossshaft 30. The shaft 30 passes through transverse holes in the tubes 24;to maintain the correct spacing, between the tubes, a pair of collars 29are pinned to the shaft 30, between the tubes 24. The support 28consists of a prop portion 32, which extends almost vertically when themachine is in the operative position; the prop portion 32 is a shallowchannel-shaped pressing, whose flanges lie one on each side of the rearportion 10A of the frame, thereby preventing the tubes 24 from movingapart. The cross shaft 30 extends through holes in the flanges at thetop end of the prop portion 32, while a support bar 34 extends throughand is fixed in holes in the flanges at the lower end of the propportion 32. Each end of the support bar 34 is fitted with a roundplastics foot 36, which forms the actual contact with the ground.

The support 28 can be pivoted about the shaft 30 from its operativeposition (FIG. 1) to a storage position (FIG. 2) in which it lies almostparallel to the tubes 24. To maintain the support in either of thesepositions, a channel-shaped strut 33, which is narrow enough to fitbetween the two tubes 24, is pivoted at one end to the prop portion 32by a further cross shaft 35, passing through holes in the side flangesof the prop portion and the strut. The other end of the strut 33 isconnected to the tubes 24 by a cross pin 37, which is fixed between thetubes 24, and passes through slots 39, one in each of the flanges of thestrut 33. So that the support 28 is locked when the pin 37 is at eitherend of the slots 39, each slot has, at each of its ends, anupwards-extending end portion. Thus, when the pin 37 is at either end ofthe slots 39, the strut 33 will drop down, so that the pin 37 isreceived in the end portions of the slots 39, and the support 28 islocked until the strut 33 is manually lifted.

The seat 12 consists simply of a board provided on its upper surfacewith padding, and having attached to its underside a pair of bracketsbetween which extend two transverse shafts each carrying a pair ofrotatable flanged rollers which run on the upper surfaces of the frametubes 24. In addition, the brackets are fitted with a pair of retaininglugs which co-operate with the undersides of the tubes 24 to keep theseat captive on the frame 10.

The pivoted handle 14 consists of a square steel tube having at itsupper end a transverse bore which receives a round tubular handle bar50, and having at its lower end a transverse bore by which it is pivotedon the cross shaft 22, between the vertical flanges of the pressing 20.Two spacer bushes 54 centralise the handle 14 between the flanges of thepressing 20. The handle bar 50 is rotatable in the bore in which it isreceived; this avoids the need for the user to allow his hands to slidearound the handle bar in the course of a stroke.

As mentioned above, the channel-shaped pressing 20 forming the forwardportion 10B of the frame carries the mechanism providing the resistanceto movements of the handle 14. It also carries the foot-rests 16, whichare formed by a single tube 52 fixed within a sleeve 54, which is inturn fixed at the front top corners of the flanges of the pressing 20.The pressing 20 also has, fixed to its underside, a transversestabiliser 56, consisting of a rectangular section tube. When no forcesare applied to the machine, and the machine is resting on a flatsurface, the stabiliser is not quite in contact with the ground.However, clearances in the hinged joint between the two portions of theframe 10, may allow the forward portion 10B to move somewhat under theforces applied to the machine in operation, and the stabiliser 56 maythen contact the supporting surface to limit these movements.

The mechanism which provides the resistance to rearwards movement of thehandle 14 includes a tape 58 of nylon webbing, which emerges from anopening formed in the top of the plastics cover (not shown), and is thenattached to the handle 14. The mechanism within the cover is illustratedin FIG. 5, and is so arranged that, as the handle 14 is moved rearwards,pulling the tape 58 out of the cover, the tension in the tape opposingmovement of the handle is considerable, while when the handle is movedforwards again, the part of the tape attached to the handle 14 is underonly a slight tension. To achieve this, the tape 58, after entering thecover, makes a part turn about each of a series of nine cylindrical orpart-cylindrical guides 60 to 68. The first guide 60 is formed by thecentral portion of the sleeve 54, fixed right at the front of thepressing 20. The remaining guides guide the tape 58 in a serpentinepath; the four guides 61, 63, 65 and 67 define the lower bights of thispath, while the four remaining guides 62, 64, 66 and 68 define the upperbights of the serpentine path. Each of the guides 61, 63, 65 and 67 isformed by a roller which is freely rotatably mounted on a pivot shaftextending between the walls of the pressing 20. Each of the guides 62,64, 66 and 68 is also formed by a roller, but these guides are eachfixed to a shaft which is journalled in the side walls of the pressing20, and whose rotation is controlled by a respective one of four ratchetmechanisms 70 (two visible in FIG. 1). The mechanisms 70 areindividually controllable; each mechanism has a disengaged position, inwhich the associated roller is freely rotatable, and an engagedposition, in which the roller is locked against anti-clockwise rotation(as seen in FIG. 1); this direction of rotation tends to occur as thehandle 14 is moved rearwards. The rollers 62, 64, 66 and 68 are stillfree to turn clockwise as the handle 14 is moved forwards again. Afterleaving the guide 68, the tape 58 is wound up on a rotatable drum 76,which contains a clock-type spring arranged to maintain a tension in thetape, and is mounted on a pivot shaft extending between the flanges ofthe pressing 20.

In operation, the tension maintained in the tape by the spring-loadeddrum 76 is magnified by the frictional sliding of the tape around thoseof the guides which remain stationary as the handle 14 is movedrearwards, thereby creating a considerable tension in the part of thetape attached to the handle. The magnitude of this tension can beadjusted by varying the number of ratchet mechanisms 70 which areengaged, thereby varying the number of guides around which the tape 58has to slide frictionally. As the handle 14 is moved forwards again, allthe guides except the guide 60 will rotate, so that there is only alittle friction opposing the movement of the tape 58. The force exertedby the tape on the handle 14 will therefore be slightly less than thetension maintained in the tape by the spring biassing of the drum 76,which is in turn considerably less than the reaction force exerted bythe tape on the handle 14 during rearwards movements of the handle.

The machine also includes a mechanical counter 100 arranged to integratethe movements of the handle made by the user of the machine. The counteris mounted on the right-hand flange of the pressing 20, and is driven bya belt and pulley drive 102 from the shaft on which one of the guides62, 64, 66 or 68 is mounted. The counter 100 incorporates its ownone-way ratchet mechanism, so that only clockwise movements of the shaftactuate the counter; it will be appreciated that such movements occur onthe return stroke of the handle 14, irrespective of whether theassociated ratchet mechanism 70 is engaged or disengaged, and themagnitude of these movements indicates the magnitude of the movement ofthe handle 14. Thus, the counter 100 indicates the total distancethrough which the handle 14 has been moved.

The machine also includes a timer 106, which, in conjunction with thecounter 100, allows the user to assess the rate at which he isexercising. The timer 106 is mounted on the left-hand flange of thepressing 20, and incorporates a conventional clockwork mechanism. Thetimer also incorporates a thumb wheel 108 which is calibrated inminutes, and is used to wind up the timer for the required number ofminutes. At the end of the set time period, a bell is sounded by thetimer.

FIG. 2 illustrates the storage position of the machine. As previouslydescribed, when the machine is to be stored, the locking pin 25 ismanually withdrawn, and the front portion 10B of the frame is foldedupwards and over the rear portion 10A. This action also moves the handle14 in the same manner, since the handle is pivoted on the same axis asthe front portion 10B. The tension in the tape 58 tends to keep thehandle 14 and the front frame portion 10B pressed firmly together duringthis movement. To allow this movement, the seat 12 has first to be movedto its rearmost position; this allows the top end of the handle 14 tomove down close to the rear portion 10A of the frame. However, as thehandle 14 and the front frame portion 10B move with one another towardsthis position, part of the front frame portion 10B will abut against therear frame portion 10A, limiting the amount of pivoting movement of thefront frame portion. When this occurs, the handle 14 is still a littleway above the rear frame portion 10A; the handle can now be presseddown, against the tension in the tape 58, until it contacts the top ofthe tubes 24. A hook 110 is provided at the top of the handle, and thishook can now be engaged under the front edge of the seat 12, by movingthe seat forward slightly. In this way, the parts are held firmly intheir storage position, with the tension in the tape 58 tending toprevent relative movements.

We claim:
 1. Exercising equipment comprising an elongate frame, a footrest mounted on the frame near one end, a seat mounted on the frame at adistance from the foot rest, a handle arranged to be moved by a user ofthe equipment, and means arranged to oppose such movement of the handlein which the handle comprises a bar which is pivoted at one end to theframe about a horizontal axis transverse to the length of the frame, andcarries a handgrip at or near its other end so that said handgrip isconstrained to move in a predetermined path with at least a component ofmovement parallel to the length of the frame, in which the meansopposing movement of the handle includes a flexible elongate frictionelement extending between the handle and the frame, a guide system overwhich the flexible element slides frictionally upon movement of thehandle and tensioning means acting on the flexible element to opposemovement of the handle away from said foot rest, and in which the framecomprises front and rear portions which are connected together by ahinged joint having its axis horizontal and transverse to the length ofthe frame and close to the pivot axis of the handle so as to becollapsible from an operative position in which they lie generally inalignment and end to end and a storage position in which they partiallyoverlap so as to substantially reduce their overall length. 2.Exercising equipment comprising an elongate frame, a foot rest mountedon the frame near one end, a seat which is movable along the frametowards and away from the foot rest, a handle which is arranged to bemoved by a user of the equipment and means opposing such movement of thehandle, in which the handle comprises a bar which is pivoted at one endto the frame about a horizontal axis transverse to the length of theframe and a handgrip at or near its other end thereby constraining thehandgrip to move in a predetermined path with at least a component ofmovement parallel to the length of said frame, in which the meansopposing movement of the handle includes a flexible elongate elementextending between the handle and the frame and a guide system over whichsaid flexible element passes, whereby, upon movement of said handle, theeffective length of the flexible element between the handle and theframe varies and the flexible element slides frictionally over the guidesystem, and in which the frame is divided along its length into a frontand rear portion and is provided with a hinged joint, connectingtogether the front and rear portions, whose axis is horizontal,transverse to the length of the frame, and close to the pivot axis ofsaid handle, whereby said frame is collapsible from an operativeposition in which the two frame portions lie generally in alignment to astorage position in which the two frame portions overlap to a greaterdegree.
 3. Equipment as claimed in claim 2 in which the pivotal axis ofthe handle coincides with that of the hinged joint between the portionsof the frame.
 4. Equipment as claimed in claim 2 in which the meansopposing movement of the handle includes tensioning means which acts onthe flexible element to oppose movements of the handle away from thefront portion of said frame.
 5. Equipment according to claim 4, whereinsaid guide system and said tensioning means are mounted on said frontportion of said frame.
 6. Equipment as claimed in claim 2 in which thefoot rest is mounted on the front portion of the frame.
 7. Equipment asclaimed in claim 2 in which the rear portion of the frame provides atrack for the movement of the seat.
 8. Equipment according to claim 2,wherein said handle carries one portion of a retaining means, anotherportion of which is connected to said rear frame portion, the twoportions of said retaining means engaging each other in the storageposition of the equipment to restrain said handle against movement awayfrom said rear frame portion while said means opposing movement of saidhandle maintains a biasing force tending to move said handle relative tosaid front frame portion, which biasing force, on the one hand, keepssaid retaining means under load, and, on the other hand, keeps saidfront frame portion pressed firmly against means limiting furtherfolding movement of said frame portions.
 9. Equipment according to claim8, wherein said other portion of said retaining means is part of saidseat.